Data Specialist (Academic Technical staff) for Supporting Data-Driven Research at Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Are you motivated by strengthening information security and the management of research data in a rich research environment? Do you have a passion for collaborating with researchers to enable their ability to work securely, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable standards?

The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University is seeking a Data Specialist for a three-year full-time position.
 

Start date and duration

The starting date is 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The duration of employment is 36 months.

Work tasks and responsibilities

As a data specialist, you will be a key contributor to our international research environment, where large data volumes, advanced experiments, and high data security standards are integral to everyday work. We are looking for someone who combines strong analytical skills with a collaborative mindset – and who is motivated by helping researchers and students succeed through robust data workflows, quality assurance, and well-designed processes.

At the Department You will join a group of four people: computer scientists who administer and develop Genome DK, and data scientists who work with large amounts of data, both from computational and experimental research.

As a data specialist, you will have primary responsibility for developing best practices in data management. You will establish secure, efficient practices for managing, curating, validating, and analysing large volumes of data. You will work closely with our data science lab, GenomeDK and research groups to understand their needs and support the implementation of data management and data storage solutions that meet both scientific and IT security requirements.

Your tasks will include:

• Developing best practices for data management and analysis across diverse research areas
• Supporting research staff in implementing data workflows, storage solutions, data and workflow documentation
• Contributing to department-wide initiatives within data management, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI
• Ensuring that data handling procedures comply with evolving IT security standards
• Collaborating with scientific and technical staff from project idea and data management plans to final implementations
• Developing solutions for data handling, exploitation and storage in collaboration with the data scientists at the department and the Faculty of Natural Sciences
• Establishing interfaces between experimental equipment and data storage
• Assist in establishing best practices for data handling in teaching

 

Your profile

We are looking for a candidate with a relevant academic background, for example, in natural sciences, computer science, engineering, computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field. You are enthusiastic about translating diverse research needs into practical, implementable solutions.

We value particularly candidates who:

• Are comfortable with coding in Python/R and bash
• Have experience with HPC environments and research data infrastructures.
• Communicate effectively and constructively in English; both interpersonal communication and the ability to deliver clear written documentation are crucial
• Can work collaboratively within a network of technically skilled colleagues
• Have experience with documentation and structured workflows

 

The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

The Department is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University and comprises research within the areas of Plant Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, RNA Biology & Innovation, Protein Science, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (BiRC), and Molecular Health. The department currently has 142 full-time scientific staff and 85 PhD students. The department is responsible for the education Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine with a yearly uptake of 90 students. Please refer to http://mbg.au.dk/ for further information about The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and to https://nat.au.dk/ and http://www.au.dk/ for information about the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Aarhus University, respectively.

We offer

We offer flexible working conditions with respect for work–life balance. You will have the freedom to define a set of your own tasks within the framework of the position.

We strongly support your personal development, e.g. through courses and conference participation.

You will be part of a highly collegial research and education environment with an informal atmosphere, where PhD students, postdocs, and faculty collaborate closely.

You will also join a network of data managers across the Faculty of Natural Sciences, where data management, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI are strategic focus areas.
 

Place of work

The place of work is Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Aarhus University and related departments.
Your daily leader will be Professor Thomas Bataillon.
 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Professor Thomas Bataillon, tbata@birc.au.dk
 

Deadline

Application deadline: 15 June 2026.

Formalities and salary range

Salary and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8.700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/